Seaman serving in Ireland, Barbados, England help please

[perilsofpauline1]

This is a really general type of enquiry, and I hope someone can help me with it.
One of my ancestors, Thomas NICHOLSON, was a seaman, who in 1861 was classed as a Chelsea pensioner. He certainly travelled because he was born in Cumberland abt. 1820, married a lady from Waterford Ireland, had one son in Dublin (Thomas b. abt.1851),  the next three sons in Barbados West Indies, and the last child (I think) in Forton, Hants.
One of his children Joseph, was also involved with the sea - in 1881 he was "Seaman HN Gunwharf" and in 1891 he was "mate in charge of WD vessel"
What kind of job would Thomas have that took him to three such diverse countries?
Hoping for some help with this,
Thankyou
Pauline

[casalguidi]

Hi Pauline

There were British Army regiments stationed in the West Indies (was it Barbados looking at the 1861 census?) and this would certainly fit with him being a Chelsea (army) pensioner in 1861.  I will move your post to the armed forces board whre it is more likely to be seen by those who may have some knowledge.

Casalguidi

[M.T.H]

Hi Pauline,

Is he one of these men whose papers are listed at the National Archives?

http://tinyurl.com/kvsun

Mick

[M.T.H]

Oops!!

I've just noticed that the dates don't fit for the two 'possibles' on that list that were born in Cumberland.

I think it likely that he was in the army prior to 1861 because he's listed as a Chelsea pensioner.It's not unheard of for a man to have served in the Army and then to have joined to the Navy at a later stage.

Mick

[perilsofpauline1]

Thankyou for those comments, and I got quite excited with the names supplied. Only one seemed to fit, but even then, his birthplace was listed as Cumberland but not Penrith.
How would I go about getting the Barbados census returns? From 1861 0nwards he is back in England.                       And what he was doing in Ireland in 1852?  It seems that for each answer I get, I have a host of new questions!!
I look forward to hearing from anyone, and again thanks for the previous help.
Cheers,
Pauline

[jorose]

Note that those indexed on the catalogue only go up to 1854, so if he was discharged between 1855 and 1861 then he won't be there.

Most regiments moved around a lot - so he probably signed up, was sent off to Ireland where he met and married his wife and had the first child, then his regiment were sent to the West Indies and the family came alone, finally they returned to England - possibly into a barracks in Hampshire briefly before his discharge.

The easiest way to figure out which regiment he was in, something you need to find discharge records for 1855-187(2, I think), is to find the birth of one or more of the children on the army birth records.  These are indexed on www.1837online.com - most places don't seem to have the overseas records available - and the army index includes regiment.  The certificates can be ordered like normal birth certificates from the GRO so you could get his wife's maiden name from there.